As if we didn’t all know, Nintendo is currently at the top of the heap in terms of the console wars of this generation. Not only are they kicking ass in terms of that market, they are also dominating worldwide in the handheld market. People are buying their products like hotcakes, and the execs are probably sleeping on their beds made of money and gold bars while they giggle themselves to sleep.
But it wasn’t always like this. While Nintendo is now once again synonymous with gaming, there was a time when the company struggled, hopped on its last leg, and then took a series of chances that have now put it back on top. Edge Online just did the first in a series of articles documenting Nintendo’s fall during the late 90’s, starting with the Nintendo 64 and some of the decisions that went into that.
It’s definitely an interesting read, and they talk specifically about the greatness of design in games like Mario 64. It’s worth pointing out that Nintendo seems to design consoles and products specifically around Miyamoto games (Nintendogs for the DS, Mario 64 for the N64, Wii Sports for the Wii), and it hasn’t always lead them to success.
What do you guys think of the article? How many of you remember Nintendo’s fall?
Source- Edge Online

No. Please, no. It appears that a Shadow of the Colossus movie is in the works. While many might find the idea of such a great and epic video game being put into a big screen format enticing, I find it simply repulsive, for a number of reasons.
If there’s one thing we can always be certain of in the gaming industry, it’s sequels! Sequels until our ears bleed. All you have to do is look at the last couple of years to see that the biggest games are new installments in current franchises.
Beyond Good and Evil was secretly one of the best games of last gen. Playing a lot like one of the more recent Zelda entries, it had an engrossing story, great writing and characters that you really cared about. It was easily in my top 5 games that I played on the PS2, which is a pretty solid list, if you ask me.
While you can’t fault a company for trying to make money (that is their purpose after all), I’m a tad miffed at hearing of the constant nickel-and-diming that is starting to pop up in the video games industry. I am all about paying for great content that is worth the money, but when I hear about EA having map packs and weapons for sale less than two weeks after Godfather II’s release, I’m annoyed.
When I was younger, reading a video game review in a new magazine or on a Web site was one of the most exciting experiences I could have as a gamer. To finally find out if the game I had been waiting for was worth playing was a moment of fear, excitement and trepidation. However, most of the joy has left this ritual in the last generation. Why is that? Because I already know that the score is going to be about 7.5 or above. It’s set in stone.
Last week, Warner announced the new micro-console, OnLive. As we all know, OnLive gets rid of the need for a console, as all of the hardware is actually taken care of through cloud servers, which play the game and send a video signal back to your TV. Well, opinions have sounded from gamers far and wide, and while many are skeptical, few doubt that this thing could have potential in the long term.
Could this be the last generation of consoles? Apparently, that’s what analyst Michael Pachter thinks, and it’s his job to come up with this kind of stuff, I guess.
Ok, this is just one massive WTF bomb right here. After taking, I don’t know, about 4-5 years to make Resident Evil 5, Capcom said today that
So, has the wave of the future arrived? Warner Bros. sure thinks so, as they presented the new micro-console, OnLive, at GDC with a huge freaking publicity splash. What makes OnLive so special? Well, perhaps the fact that it’s not technically a gaming console, but a small attachment for your TV or PC, rendering the “hardware arms race” obsolete.
Lots of people are excited about the new Fallout 3 DLC, the Pitt, which released today for the XBox 360 and PC. Or at least they were, until it all turned out to be a big crazy mess.
Let me put on my shocked face. The subtitle to this story should be “And Nobody is Surprised”. Or better yet, “And Gamers Cried Out in Agony”. Just in case you were wondering, I mean.
Yikes. If there’s one game that you just assume that everyone and their mom owns, it’s probably Halo 3. Well, at least that’s what I assume anyway. Not so, though, if the latest sales numbers are to be believed.
Got my Game Informer in the mail yesterday, which featured not only awesome cover art of the new “Big Sister” from BioShock2, but also a story with some of the first details of the game.